Cardiovascular disease snapshot

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The AIHW has developed core monitoring information on the prevalence, incidence, hospitalisation and deaths from CVD (including coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure) in Australia that is updated on a regular basis on the AIHW website to ensure that the most up-to-date information and trends is easily accessible and available.

Cat. no: CVD 83

Findings from this report:

Indigenous Australians had CVD hospitalisation and death rates at twice the rate of non-Indigenous Australians

There were over 1.1 million hospitalisations for CVD in 2015-16 (11% of all hospitalisations)

Almost 1 in 3 deaths were due to CVD in 2015 (29% deaths as the underlying cause of death)

Hospital care for cardiovascular disease

All cardiovascular disease

There were over 1.1 million hospitalisations where cardiovascular disease (CVD) was recorded as the principal and/or additional diagnosis in 2015–16, according to the AIHW National Hospital Morbidity Database. This represents 11% of all hospitalisations in Australia. Note that hospitalisation data presented here are based on admitted patient episodes of care, including multiple events experienced by the same individual.

In 2015–16 there were around:

556,700 hospitalisations with CVD as the principal diagnosis (the diagnosis largely responsible for hospitalisation).

576,000 hospitalisations with CVD as an additional diagnosis (a coexisting condition with the principal diagnosis or a condition arising during hospitalisation that affects patient management).

When CVD was listed as the principal diagnosis, the leading conditions were:

coronary heart disease (28% of CVD hospitalisations)

heart failure and cardiomyopathy (12%)

stroke (11%) and

peripheral vascular disease (6%) (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Major causes of hospitalisation for CVD (principal diagnosis), by sex, 2015–16

Trends

The number of acute hospitalisations for CVD as the principal diagnosis increased by 20% between 2005–06 and 2015–16, from 415,000 to 499,700 hospitalisations. Despite increases in the number of hospitalisations, the age-standardised rate for acute care declined by 6% over this period, from 1,944 to 1,824 per 100,000 population. The rate of CVD hospitalisations among males was higher than that for females across the period (Figure 2).

Age and sex

Were overall 1.6 times as high for males as females (2,524 and 1,578 per 100,000 population). Age-specific rates were higher among males than females across all age groups (Figure 3).

Increased with age, with over four in five (82%) CVD hospitalisations occurring in those aged 55 years and over. CVD hospitalisation rates for males and females were highest in the 85 years and over age group (21,517 and 16,170 per 100,000 population, respectively)—1.4 times as high as those in the 75–84 age group (15,529 and 10,372 per 100,000) (Figure 3).

Variations among population groups

Around 30% higher in Remote and very remote areas compared with Major cities. This pattern was largely driven by the rate for females―5,245 compared with 3,467 per 100,000 population, respectively―while for males rates were similar between these areas of Australia (5,073 compared with 4,626 per 100,000) (Figure 4).

20% higher for those in the lowest socioeconomic group compared with the highest socioeconomic group (based on area of usual residence)—3,738 compared with 4,496 per 100,000. This gap was similar for males and females (Figure 4).

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

In 2015–16, there were around 14,000 hospitalisations for CVD (as the principal diagnosis) among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, a rate of 3,371 per 100,000 population.

The rate among Indigenous Australians was overall 1.7 times as high as the non-Indigenous rate (3,371 and 1,945 per 100,000).

The disparity between Indigenous Australians and non-Indigenous Australians was greater for females than males—2 times as high for females (3,169 compared with 1,547 per 100,000) and 1.5 times as high for males (3,597 compared with 2,379 per 100,000).

Coronary heart disease (CHD)

There were over 226,000 hospitalisations where CHD was recorded as the principal or additional diagnosis in 2015–16. This represents 2% of all hospitalisations in Australia.

Over two-thirds (157,000) of CHD hospitalisations were recorded as the principal diagnosis.

Where CHD was the principal diagnosis, hospitalisation rates:

Were overall 2.5 times as high for males as for females. Age-specific rates were higher among males than females across all age groups (Figure 5).

Increased with age and were highest among males aged 75–84 years (4,695 per 100,000 population) and females 85 years and over (2,592 per 100,000) (Figure 5).

Heart failure and cardiomyopathy

There were around 173,000 hospitalisations where heart failure and cardiomyopathy was recorded as the principal or additional diagnosis in 2015–16. This represents 1.6% of all hospitalisations in Australia.

Almost 40% of hospitalisations (68,600) for heart failure and cardiomyopathy were recorded as the principal diagnosis.

Where heart failure and cardiomyopathy was recorded as the principal diagnosis, hospitalisation rates:

Were overall 1.5 times as high for males as females. Age-specific rates were higher among males than females in all age groups (Figure 6).

Increased with age, with rates highest for males and females in the 85 and over age group (5,917 and 4,473 per 100,000 population)―at least 2.4 times as high as those in the 75–84 age group (2,387 and 1,644 per 100,000) (Figure 6).

Stroke

There were over 77,500 hospitalisations where stroke was recorded as the principal or additional diagnosis in 2015–16. This represents 0.7% of all hospitalisations in Australia. Over 80% (62,900) of hospitalisations for stroke were recorded as the principal diagnosis in 2015–16.

In 2015–16, where stroke was recorded as the principal diagnosis, hospitalisation rates:

Were overall 1.4 as high for males as for females. Age-specific rates were higher among males than females from age 45 years (Figure 7).

Increased with age, with rates for males and females highest in the 85 and over age group (2,947 and 2,500 per 100,000 population)―around 1.6 times as high as those in the 75–84 age group (1,947 and 1,398 per 100,000) (Figure 7).

Hospital procedures for CVD

Procedures are provided in hospitals to admitted patients to diagnose or treat CVD.

In 2015–16, the most common procedures performed in hospital were coronary angiography (127,000), percutaneous coronary intervention (41,200), echocardiography (39,100), and pacemaker insertion (16,600). The number of procedures to diagnose and treat CVD was higher among males than females (Data source table).